On Wednesday night, November 18 Health CS Mutahi Kagwe said that the January 4 school reopening date was subject to a review.
Speaking to Citizen TV’s Jeff Koinange, the Health CS made it clear that despite his Education counterpart George Magoha issuing a full school calendar, the actual reopening date could be further down the line.
“We target periods when we want to reopen schools, we don’t have specific dates and nothing is cast in stone. If by January 4, the situation will be deemed as risky then we will not reopen,” he explained.
However, he also cautioned parents against exposing their children to the virus at home by frequenting bars and outlawed social gatherings.
The increasing Covid-19 cases in schools has led to questions as to whether the country was ready to reopen the institutions in the first place.
Two weeks ago, 68 students and 5 teachers in Bahati Girls High School, Nakuru County, tested positive for coronavirus.
In her statement, Nakuru County Health Services Executive Committee Member Kariuki Gichuki said that one student developed complications and was currently being treated at the Nakuru Covid-19 isolation center.
She further revealed that 115 others were currently in quarantine.
Since then, more students and teachers in different schools have tested positive for Covid-19 including a Kakamega student who is suspected to have died due to the virus.
Kagwe had earlier issued new directives regarding schools that would record a Covid-19 case going forward.
During the Citizen TV interview, CS Kagwe also addressed the Covid Millionaires scandal that centered on the government’s medical supplies agency, Kemsa.
The CS said he was one of the whistleblowers who directed the investigating agencies on where to look, maintaining that he was still keen on bringing down the cartels at the ministry’s Afya House.
“There is a lot more to the Ministry of Health and health issues than Kemsa. Let’s not forget that the people who came to investigate Kemsa did not come from nowhere, I invited them,” he stated.
He went on to warn Kenyans against assuming that the Covid-19 situation in the country was under control, “Kenyans are dancing with death, it’s worse than ever before,” he reiterated.